 The realist style of The Feast of the Goat is recognized by some reviewers as being a break from a more allegorical approach to the dictator novel . The novel received largely positive reviews , most of which were willing to accept sacrifices of historical accuracy in favour of good storytelling . A common comment on the novel is the graphic nature of the many acts of torture and murder which are depicted in the novel . Vargas lets the reader see the realities of an oppressive regime with a degree of detail not often used by his compatriots in Latin American literature , as Michael Wood suggests in the London Review of Books : Vargas Llosa ... tells us far more about the details of day @-@ to @-@ day intrigue , and the sordid , sadistic minutiae of torture and murder .  Walter Kirn of the New York Times suggests that the  grisly scenes of dungeon interrogations and torture sessions  cast other aspects of the novel in a pale light , draining them of their significance and impact . Similarly , Kirn implies that the narrative machinery  mentioned by Wood as being somewhat unwieldy also produces a largely superfluous storyline . The plot line centered on Urania Cabral is described by Sturrock as being an emotional centre that focuses the novel , and Wood agrees that her confrontations with past demons hold the readers attention . In contrast , Kirn 's review states that Urania 's segments are talky and atmospheric ... [ and ] seem to be on loan from another sort of book .  fill in the blank  :  The realist style of The Feast of the Goat is recognized by some reviewers as being a break from a more allegorical approach to the dictator __________________ . 